India ranks 97th in global hunger index

New Delhi: India has ranked 97th among 118 developing countries on the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI) Global Hunger Index (GHI), which was calculated this year.

The GHI study is conducted on four parameters: The proportion of the undernourished in the population, prevalence of wasting in children less than five years, prevalence of stunting in children under five years and the under-five mortality rate.

“Simply put, countries must accelerate the pace at which they are reducing hunger or we will fail to achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal,” IFPRI Director-General Shenggen Fan told Business Standard. “Ending global hunger is certainly possible, but it is up to all of us that we set the priorities right to ensure that the government, the private sector and civil society devote the time and resources necessary to meet this important goal.”

India was ranked 80 in 2015, 102 in 2008 and 83 in 2000. It has improved over the past years to fight malnutrition but according to the 2016 index, the country has been identified with serious hunger levels.

Despite the programmes like mid-day meals and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), India is still not able to tackle malnutrition.